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, L) -3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. R. GARHART.

- MAGHINE'FOR PLALIING 10B. No. 400,189; Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L.R.-OARHART.

MACHINE FOR PLANING ICE. No. 400,189. Patented Mar. 26, 1889'.

N. PETERS. Phulvlilhugnpher, Wahhlglun, DJ;

' (No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet L. R. OARHART.

MACHINE FOR PLANING ICE.

No. 400,189. Patented Mar. 26, 1889.

' with the sleeper of the chute. The posts on the following is a specification.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. LEONARD ROMAINE OARHART, OF OOEYMANS, NEIV YORK.

MACHINE FOR PLANING ICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 400,189, dated March 26, 1889;

Application 119d May 4, 1888. Serial No. 272,865. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEONARD ROMAINE CARHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Coeymans, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Planing Ice, of which My invention relates to improvements in ice planing and ridging machines; and the ob jects of my invention are to provide a machine for cutting off useless portions as snow and slush-from the surface of the ice-cakes preparatory to housing them, and also for ridging the cakes to prevent them from freezing into one solid mass when packed, and which will also furnish afoothold for the men working in the ice-houses, and also to cut the cakes uniformly, causing each cake to be of the same thickness and the layers of cake in the ice-house to present an even and uniform surface.- I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig. 3, an end elevation; Fig. 4, an elevation of the side opposite that illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 5,a section along the line 1 1 on Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a detailed view of the knife-blades. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of one of the elbowhinges. Fig. 8 is an end view of knife-bar and knife, and Fig. 9 is the elbow-hinge G.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughout the several views.

The slats A A, Fig. 2, represent the bottom or slip of an ordinary ice elevator or chute upon which the ice-cakes are caused to slide up the incline into the ice-house, being propelled usually by cross-bars attached to an endless chain, which device is not shown in the drawings, it being immaterial in connection with my invention what means are employed to elevate the cake. The endless chain, if that method of moving the ice were used, would be placed along the slats a a on each side of the chute. (See Fig. 2.) To the sleeper on each side of the chute I attach the posts M M, extending upward at right angles to the said sleepers, and connect the upper ends of the said posts, which are placed on the side of the chute upon which the frame is hinged, by the cross-beam O, placed parallel the side of the chute upon which the free side of the frame rests are not provided with a connecting cross-beam, O, and are used for steadying and supporting the other parts of the mechanism. On each side of the chute I place into the sleepers, and extending upward at right angles to them, the threaded bolts L L. These bolts L L have their upper ends cut square, that they may be operated by means of a wrench. The bolts L L pass through the bars 0 c on each side of the chute, meshing with the threads of the nuts Z Z, which are attached to said bars 0 c. The

bars 0 c are thus placed in a position parallel to the chute. To the bar 0 on one side of the chute I attach the lugs p 19, Fig. 1, through which passes the shaft 0. To the shaft 0 is hinged the frame 13 by the latchhinge c, and the hinges G G, attached to the knife-frames. The side of the frame B opposite the shaft O rests upon the bar 0. The frame B being thus supported in its position across the chute by the bars 0 c on each side of the chute, and the bars 0 0 being provided with nuts Z Z, meshing with the threads of the perpendicular bolts L L, it is apparent that the frame B can be lowered or raised by operating the bolts L L. It is also apparent that the frame B can be raised by causing it to move on the shaft 0, to which it is hinged, as an axis. It is thus easy to adjustthe frame in relation to the chute for the passage of ice of different thicknesses. The frame B is usually constructed of two thicknesses of sheetiron. The broken-away portion of the upper left-hand corner of Fig. 2 shows the lowersheet of iron. The frame is attached to the knife-bar E as well as to the end of the knives.

The latch-bar e is usually composed of two pieces, as shown in Fig. 2. One piece is hinged to the shaft 0 and secured in a suitable manner to the frame B. I have shown it secured by a bolt passing through the overlapping ends of the two parts of the latch-bar, which bolt also acts as a pivot for that part of the latch-bar farthest from the shaft O, in order that it may be moved in and out of the notches in the rack d. Other fastenings may be used to secure the latch-bar to the frame 13 than those shown. I place a keeper, 9, about the latch-bar into the frame B, near the free side of the frame, wide enough to allow of the movement of the latch-bar in and out of the notches. The notched rack or post d is attached to the sleeper and extends upward at right angles to the sleeper of the chute on the side opposite to that 011 which the shaft C is placed. It is usually fastened to the side of one of the posts M, and is so placed with reference to the latch-bar e that the latch-bar can engage with the notches in the rack d, and the frame B may thus be prevented from being forced upward by cakes of ice pressing against it when being operated on by the knives.

The knife-bars E and F are provided at one end with the elbow-hinges G G, through which passes the shaft C, and at the other end are secured to the frame B by means of the sleeve, lug, and bolt at c and at f. The kn ifeblades I l and I are attached to the knife-bars E and 11, respectively, by bolts, as shown in Fig. 2, orin any suitable manner. The knives are placed diagonally across the chute, and one is placed nearer thetop of the chute than the other. The knife Ithe one with which the ice-cake would first come into contact in its progress up the chutehas an unbroken edge, and is used for the purpose of planing off the snow and slush which are on the surface of the cake. The knife H extends lower nearer the ice-chute than the knife I, and has its cutting-edge notched, formed into teeth, which causes the ice-cake upon which it acts to be grooved, ridged, or corrugated. The sides of the notches in the knife-blade II form a right angle, and one side of the notch is longer than the other. The notches thus formed are easily sharpened on a grindstone, and the teeth are not so liable to be broken as they would be if made in a V form, being larger and stronger.

in order that the knives and frame I; may be raised easily, I attach to the frame the chain or cable J, which passes over the sheave j on the post K, attached to the side of the chute, the end of which chain or cable attached to the countcrbalancing-weight is.

It sometimes becomes necessary to raise the knives in order to allow a cake of ice of unusual thickness to pass up the chute, which I can do with little exertion by unlatching the bar (2 from the notches in the post (I and raising the frame B and knives, all of which are hinged to the shaft 0, and which move at right angles to the chute, assisted by the counterbalancing-weight 70. When a cake of ice is forced up the chute, it first comes into contact with the knife 1', which planes off the surface of the cake, removing all slush and snow therefrom. The knife occupying a diagonal position in respect to the cake, the upper corner of the cake will be planed off and come in contact with the knife Ill before the lower part of the cake has been operated on by the knife I. The lower corner of the cake is prevented from rising when the knife 11 comes in contact with the upper corner of the cake. Thus the cake is prevented from being broken and chipped oif, as often occurs through the tilting of the ice-cake in machines now in use. As the lower corner of the cake leaves the knife I, the upper corner passes under the frame B, which prevents it from being tilted up when the knife H cuts the lower corner of the cake. By this arrangement of my appa ratus the ice-cake is kept in its normal position in the chute, and is protected from the breakage which usually occurs by the cakes tilting when operated upon by the knives, thus causing it to be split and the corners chipped 01f.

' To keep the ice-cakes from interfering with the endless chain which passes along the slat a, I employ the guide X, Fig. 3, which is a board or plank placed against the side of the chute, and extends over the slat a, which prevents the cake from coming in contact with the chain.

By my arrangement of the knives and frame B it is impossible for the knives to rise while the process of cutting is taking place without the latch e is removed from the notch in the rack d. The cakes are thus formed of the uniform thickness. This rigidity of the knives and frame and the positive manner in which the ice-cake is prevented from lifting up or tilting when acted upon by the knives are important features of my invention.

My apparatus is simple in its construction, strong and durable in its mechanism, and performs the work required of it in a positive and satisfactory manner.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a knife provided with a notched cutting-edge, placed diagonally across and in combination with the chute of an ice-elevator, the shaft 0, to which said knife is hinged, and the frame 13, to which said knife is connected, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an icc-cutting machine, the combination of the knife I, having an unbroken cutting-edge, with the knife I'l, having its out ting-edge provided with right-angled notches, each of said knives placed diagonally across the chute of an ice-elevator, the shaft 0, to which. said knives are hinged, the frame B, to which said knives are attached, and the latch-lever 0, attached to the frame 13, with the notched rack (Z, with which said latch-lever engages, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of the frame B, extending across the chute of an ice-elevator, the shaft 0, to which said frame is hinged on one side, the bar 0, to which said shaft is attached, the nuts Z Z at each end of said bar 0, the bolts L L, provided with. threads, with which the nuts I l mesh, the knives H and I, placed diagonally j, and the Weight 70, attached to said chain 01' across said chute, hinged to said shaft 0, and connected With the said frame B, the latch lever e, attached to the frame B, hinged on the said shaft 0, the notched rack d, with which the said latch-lever engages, the chain or cable J, attached tosaid frame, the sheave cable, all substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

L. ROMAINE CARHART. Witnesses:

FREDERICK W. CAMERON, WALTER E. WARD. 

